"... '[H]e declined to back away from any of his anti-woke jokes, his discussion of the n-word at a comics’ roundtable, or his insistence that everybody is fair game for mockery. To hold otherwise would be to grant classes of people special protections — comedy "privilege." He won’t do it.'... The same reasons Gervais is now a public enemy for the liberal-left, even though he is an atheist who votes for the Labour party, is the same reason Tucker Carlson is hated, or the reason Donald Trump and Boris Johnson are despised. Tucker Carlson is supposed to be instinctively free-trade and open borders, given his socio-economic background. A New York Billionaire with three wives, is not supposed to be defending Evangelicals from ever-encroaching sexual liberation. A classics scholar from Oxford shouldn’t oppose a European superstate in favour of a narrow national interest. And yet, they all went against what their supposed class interests are. And thereby, for good or for bad, broke the consensus. Anyone who goes against scripture is naturally deemed a heretic. Gervais has also joined the ranks. Good."
From "Ricky Gervais is the heretic we need right now" by Sumantra Maitra at something called The Post Millennial (found via Real Clear Politics).
In my own little way, I identify with this. It's how I got myself perceived as a right-winger. And now I'm taking a second look at the quote I put in the headline: "Gervais cannot understand why supporting free-speech will make him a rightwinger." I don't believe that for a minute! Gervais can understand. I wouldn't put anything that is humanly comprehensible beyond his understanding. It's the intensity and vigor of his understanding that makes him the comedian that he is. He's using his powers and refusing to be boxed in by the strictures of leftist comedy-killers. And there's no richer comedy material than the controlling prudes who say That's not funny.
This made me think about the recent episode of Joe Rogan's podcast where he interviews Jon Stewart. I tried to listen to it...
... but I didn't get very far, and I don't think Joe was enjoying himself too much either because the thing doesn't even reach the hour-and-a-half mark. Joe normally goes well over 2 hours with his guests and often over 3 hours. That's the idea: Things flow and open up. But Jon was a drag. He wasn't funny. He did, interestingly enough, admit that he'd burnt out on "The Daily Show," that the routine of reading the script the writers prepared for him in that outraged tone felt awful from the inside.
Ricky Gervais writes his own material and keeps going, thank God.
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Speaking of Free Speech, I'm asking Ann for her Althousian take on this boycott of Facebook by Coca Cola, North Face, Patagonia and others. Apparently these corporations don't like FB's policy re: political ads. They want FB to label or block Trump's ads.
FB has taken a giant revenue hit.
I'm shocked that Coke would join in. Does Corporate America hate Trump that much?
The right-wing equals comedy fun and freedom. The left-wing wants to silence and scold. Ya got that, kids?
Our corporate driven popular culture is totalitarian and nasty.
The Democrats and their corporate allies are following the Nazi playbook very well.
You know who the masters are when you look at who cannot be mocked.
They must be defeated. The 30% strategy is the only way to make it lasting.
uh - support of free speech makes you anything BUT a left-winger.
So ---> that's what leftwingers are going to call you. "rightwinger!"
whatever that means.
We know what leftwing means. It's the new/old marxist woke-steam-roller. Obey or pay. Shut up, they explained, you racist.
The Post Millennial is Canadian. Looks interesting, though.
This is the one thing that made be click on the "Ricky Gervais" tag. He is very good at taking the piss. Unfortunately, his comedy is becoming rather unique, today (can something *become* unique?). I hope he sticks with it.
The left's complete rejection of freedom of speech is all but complete. There are a few stragglers left but they are being marginalized. Now even the ACLU barely defends it. I used to remember when freedom of speech was an important civil right for the left but now I'm left wondering it was all a big con from the beginning until they were in power.
Gervais is great, but some of his animal welfare posts are just depressing. There are probably trillions of animals in the world, some of them meet unlucky fates, most of them, probably.
But Jon was a drag. He wasn't funny.
Jon Stewart was never funny. Neither was the Daily Show if you thought about any of the jokes for more than 30 seconds.
It's how I got myself perceived as a right-winger.
And a traitor to your gender.
Crabs in a bucket.
"'Gervais cannot understand why supporting free-speech will make him a rightwinger.' I don't believe that for a minute! Gervais can understand."
I think that he can understand why supporting free speech gets him called a right-winger, but doesn't understand why support of free speech is perceived as a right-wing endeavor.
Gervais seems to like dogs quite a bit.
Question: What makes Althouse NOT a right-winger?
Jon Stewart was a tool.
He did what his masters told him to do.
He never made fun of Barrack. Not really.
Tools like Stewart and masters like Coca Cola are why Nazis were able to take power in Germany.
The dogma of the Left: Whoever is not with me is against me.
Michael Brown helped himself to a five fingered discount at the convenience store. He then decided to apportion the middle of a public street as his own private sidewalk. When a police officer stopped him, he decided to assault the officer for his lese majeste offense. The friend that was with with told huge whoppers about the incident.....I don't follow Jon Stewart, but I'm inclined to doubt whether he ever made a joke about the behavior of Brown or his friend although, God knows, their behavior was ridiculous....The comedy rulebook plainly states that you're only allowed to mock the absurdities of white, hetero Republicans or their allies.
How funny is Stewart (not his real name) without his writers? Not much. Now Jerry Seinfeld (his real name) is funny and good at the adlibs. But that's that's it is. Carl Reiner was never funny on talk shows, Mel Brooks was often funnier on talk shows than he was in the movies.
"That's not funny" is the essence of being woke. Being woke means being perpetually offended and angry. The woke derive their opinions from their hatred. Some of us like parties, the woke like riots.
Suppression of free speech is more likely to happen in statist (i.e. leftist) societies.
For example,if the government controls the entire economy, then criticism of the government's economic decisions is too disruptive to be tolerated. For example, if the government has invested enormous effort into the development of a five-year economic plan, then the entire society must accept that plan and cooperate with it. Criticizing the government's five-year plan is "wrecking the economy".
-------
In the USA now, intellectual justifications for the suppression of free speech are being developed primarily at universities. The universities have broadened their scope of concerns. Rather than merely developing the students' intellectual abilities, the universities now are also coddling the students' emotional fragilities.
Because those fragilities now must be coddled, every campus detail that might hurt some students' feelings must be eradicated. Buildings must be re-named, statues must be removed, Halloween costumes must be forbidden, conservative guest speakers must be canceled, and so forth.
Neither Ricky or Joe its saying anything I haven't said - here - so why you dwell on them and ignore me is what I wonder about.
My skin means I'm neither right or left, accepted or denied - saying the same shit.
Why does everyone else count when I was here - even on these topics - first?
And another thing: Glenn Reynolds writes "It’s amazing how almost uniformly awful and pathetic the people in charge of our universities, corporations, and press are."
When I told you and him NewAge was the religion of corporations, decades ago.
I think you guys deliberately dismiss and ignore my contribution to these ever-more-important topics.
Stewart turned into a one trick pony. Make funny faces at the camera. That was his thing. The seals clapped.
Budge Hinman said...
Question: What makes Althouse NOT a right-winger?
Answer: cruel neutrality
I'm shocked that Coke would join in. Does Corporate America hate Trump that much?
Trump =/= China and the Muslim world. Coke wants to sell to them. The largest market for soft drinks is the Muslim world. Big Corporations are into crony capitalism the past 50 years, especially since 2000. They have been steadily going left wing, not because they want Socialism but Socialism works rather well with crony capitalism.
To the liberal/left straying from the "party line" means you're the enemy aka a "Right-winger". Anyone who is not for us, is against us. Weirdly, the Right-wing has the opposite viewpoint. They're so pathetically needy and gullible, that anyone who supports a couple Right-wing positions, is immediately dubbed "one of us" not only let in the "Big Tent" but placed in charge.
That's how you end up with Fake Cons Bill Kristol and Rich Lowrey. OR Charles Johnson being claimed as a "Conservative". Poor Johnson, had to go public and call George Bush and Republicans "Nazi" 10 times, before Right-wingers would stop linking to LGF.
Althouse has made it clear she votes Liberal Democrat, with the occasional vote for FOrd in 1976 and Bush in 2004, but that didn't stop Conservatives on this website from being OUTRAGED when she voted for Hillary or Obama. She's not a right-winger, capiche?
Budge Hinman said...
Question: What makes Althouse NOT a right-winger?
Wrong question. The stupid right-left Continuum of politics does not exist anymore.
Ann still believes the government is the proper tool to fix most of society’s ills and favors special treatment for people based on race and sexual orientation but tolerates people who disagree.
The current political divide is between those who believe in a free society and economy and those who want to return to a tribal spoils system that most of the world still uses.
I also appreciated Stewart's take on his time on TV, about how each show was tied and bound to the 24 hour news cycle. But the rest of his schtick about being trapped in his attic with a week's growth and his kids hieroglyphics on the chalk board shows he's not very good at faking self pity. So I tuned him out after a half hour, and it seems Joe tuned him out about a half hour later.
Like Colbert, Jon Stewart needs a script. Of course, if you pack your audience with a bunch of clapping seals, you can make anything funny. IRC, Stewart would often play a clip and then raise an eyebrow and his moronic left-wing audience would howl with laughter. David Letterman was another one who needed writers. Johnny Carson, could be funny without one. And i say that as someone who thought Carson was a boring old fart.
What makes Althouse NOT a right-winger?
Because she is nominally pro-choice, she thinks that makes her not a right-winger.
And guess what? It is only a small (but very vocal) minority of left wingers that are "anti free speech". Look at the reaction of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia fans (who are overwhelmingly liberal) to Netflix in the U.K., and then HULU in U.S., pulling episodes because someone at Disney decided they were offensive.
I am a big fan of Ricky Gervais.
...but now I'm left wondering it was all a big con from the beginning until they were in power.
Evergreen for most leftie positions.
Human rights shouldn't be "right-wing," but they are. In today's world, human rights are right-wing. The values of the Enlightenment are right-wing.
That's why Gervais' support for free speech makes him a right-winger--because it does.
Budge Hinman said...Question: What makes Althouse NOT a right-winger?
Her voting record.
A New York Billionaire with three wives, is not supposed to be defending
Is this grammar from the article? Who has three wives?
I think Rory has it right.
I wouldn't characterize Ann as right or left. Somewhat sui generis but mostly just smart and interesting. I'd say she's dedicated to the Rule of Law and our Constitution. She did, after all, teach constitutional law.
I'm hoping the November election will be about the rejection of butt hurt liberals in general. From their covid scolding and nanny state obsessions to deciding what people can or can't joke about. A vote for a democrat is a vote for a crypto-nazi living their dream of controlling everything they see. Fuck these guys.
Judging by his looks and recent appearances, Stewart (who is very talented, by the way) does seem to be burned out.
Part of him must know that his Daily Show snark created a lot of the behavior and hatred from the left we see today. I wouldn't want to live with that either.
"It's the intensity and vigor of his understanding that makes him the comedian that he is"
Well, he understands the hostility as such. There's no evidence (ha) that he understands what's driving it.
But kudos to him for standing up to the prog offensive.
And Althouse is not just "perceived" as right wing, she is defined and targeted that way--heretics not on the right left side are on the wrong right side. In fact, they are worse than deplorable.
A dozenor so years ago I was asked who was the most pernicious person in American politics. I said Jon Stewart.
"What makes Althouse NOT a right-winger?"
What are her views on abortion? Gay rights/SSM? Race? I don't know of any social or cultural issue where she's on the political right.
I do think it's fair to say she's more critical of the left than the right. But that makes one a critic of the left; it doesn't mean you're a rightwinger.
Emerita Professora said : In my own little way, I identify with this. It's how I got myself perceived as a right-winger.
--------============
Do I see an attempt to absolve self of right-wingerism
can you be cruel and neutral in Kafkaesque world? only if you can self-induce amnesia (Gell-Mann variant)
I posted in last night comments about Kafkatrapping
Kafkatrapping
" his discussion of the n-word at a comics’ roundtable,"
"n-word"? Oh, you mean "nigger"? Not nihilist, or nebulous, or nativity. You meant "nigger"! Oh, except, of course, you didn't mean "nigger". You understand that it is wrong for a white person to voice people of color.
Remember when the ACLU defended the 1st Amendment right of Nazis in Skokie? We've come a long way, baby. Cognitive dissonance says Gervais will either have a reassessment of what conservatism is or he will become woke. Based on his words, he could still go either way.
Here's the secret secret
Conservatives want to CONSERVE (to keep things), get it?
Progressives want to PROGRESS (to NEW things), get it?
For about 260 years, America has been a bastion of Classical Liberalism
Classical liberalism is a political ideology and a branch of liberalism which advocates civil liberties under the rule of law with an emphasis on economic freedom.
Conservatives want to CONSERVE the rule of law...
that advocates civil liberties*, with an emphasis on economic freedom
Progressives want to PROGRESS past that. Into a Brave, New World; with a rule of law...
that MANDATES compliance with The State, with COMPLETE economic servitude to That State
civil liberties* including, but not limited to:
Freedom of Speech
Freedom of Religion
Freedom of Assembly
The Right to Bear Arms
The Right to Vote, and have Your vote COUNT
The Right to be happy that you've been privileged enough to have owned a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, with the 383 Magnum V-8, and the Hearst 4 Speed (AND positraction)
When you think about it; it All makes sense.
Well, it All makes sense, except for...
WHY THE HELL ARE LIBERALS SUPPORTING MARXIST CRAP INSTEAD OF LIBERALISM?
Sorry, a previous post linked to the wrong video.
Gervais completely understands and is exploiting it in his comedy to, in part, mock it as a stupid idea.
Agree with Michael K. Coke wants to sell Coke to Commie and Muslim countries around the world. They know they have a strong market position in America.
Gervais is routinely hilarious and is one of the very few to have reached his level in that industry while keeping his personal philosophy intact. He is stronger for that. He is more highly regarded for that. And he is more formidable because of that.
He is also a pretty interesting guy. I've listened to a couple of lengthy interviews with him. He seemed to utterly...normal with very little pretense. He does not try to be what he is not, and feels no compulsion to do so. This is the opposite of most of the rest of Hollywood, comedy, Broadway, TV and the rest of the newstertainment field.
And that is why so many of us treasure him and so many others feel compelled to destroy him.
Crack- we have not ignored you. Well...some of us have not. You were spot-on nailing the cultists early on. On other things, I disagree with you, but I always read what you have to say. You and others here.
If you don't buy into the ridiculous stereotypes, what's wrong with being a right-winger. At least you avoid the smugness, and that's an ugly look.
I can't believe how much money someone like Jon Stewart can make doing nothing but smug and simply reading other peoples' writing. The same with big money newscasters. When not reading, they usually come of pretty dull.
People who should get paid a lot: good cops, unbiased reporters, and honest car mechanics.
Amazed that white men are still allowed anywhere on the airwaves. Gervais and Bill Burr are about the only true I-don't-GAF comedians still out there.
I do think it's fair to say she's more critical of the left than the right. But that makes one a critic of the left; it doesn't mean you're a rightwinger.
In the eyes of the modern left it does. For much of the modern left there are no shades of grey, everything is binary. Either you support everything completely and unreservedly or you're a heretic or an apostate that must be destroyed.
Anyone who thinks the Right deserves anywhere near the criticism of the Left right now is just insane. The left is in the process of literally destroying the nation, it's values, it's history, it's very reason for being exceptional. In light of that obvious situation, why would being called a right-winger be the bad thing. It could mean simply that you are not insane.
I do think it's fair to say she's more critical of the left than the right. But that makes one a critic of the left; it doesn't mean you're a rightwinger.
The left is currently on a more destructive path than the right. What's the right going to do to you? Put in Supreme Court judges that.....support trans rights? Strike down laws requiring abortionists to have hospital admitting rights?
What's the left going to do to you? Burn down your business. Request you step down from your job for a minority.
Crack: "I think you guys deliberately dismiss and ignore my contribution to these ever-more-important topics."
I'm sorry. I missed that. What were you saying again?
It's worth noting that the anti-gun left loves the heavily armed CHAZ utopia which so far has a gun violence and murder rate a couple hundred times that of the nation as a whole. Great Job!
"I think you guys deliberately dismiss and ignore my contribution to these ever-more-important topics."
Crack, I gather that some woman you knew went all New Age on you, and harshed your mellow or something. And I can see how that might leave you with a lasting antipathy to crystals and unicorns. But ever-more-important it ain't. And I will guarantee you, New Age is never going to pay reparations. That dog won't hunt.
"...But Jon was a drag. He wasn't funny..."
Because comedians with 'one stick' such as the "cancel culture" are not funny. Most comedy has to have part of the act grounded in reality. When you go through life wishing life to be a narrative which is removed from reality, like the Left, then not only is it "boring" it is dangerous. People like Stalin and Mao have tried to remake their societies to tragic results millions died/killed all in the name of theoretical [historical] bankrupt ideals.
The current reiteration of this movement, the "cancel culture", are again pushing the same theme. In the interest of their own narrative these activists are denying to others the right they claim for themselves - to look at the World as it is and reach their own conclusions.
This made me think about the recent episode of Joe Rogan's podcast where he interviews Jon Stewart. I tried to listen to it... but I didn't get very far, and I don't think Joe was enjoying himself too much either...
Good to hear. I skipped that video when it was first posted. Didn't seem very Rogan-like. (But, of course, part of his appeal is that he can't be pigeonholed.)
I want to plug his show "Afterlife" on Netflix. I liked the first season OK but found it a bit depressing.
The 2nd season is one of the best things I've seen in a long time.
It has some funny moments but I don't think I'd call it a comedy.
The first series tried to be a bit more of a comedy but I'm not sure it was either.
John Henry
Speaking of Free Speech, I'm asking Ann for her Althousian take on this boycott of Facebook by Coca Cola, North Face, Patagonia and others.
I'll answer this! Every single one of those corporations is pulling or drastically reducing their ad spend for the next several quarters. I know because these corporations purchase ads from people like me and no one is buying. The marketing spend is the first to go when things get tough and the online ad market has simply collapsed as everyone is just trying to wait out the whole thing. We have people calling Unilever all day asking for some crumbs and they're like we'll talk to you fourth quarter. Since they're already pulling back, it makes sense to position that unrelated spend reduction as a social justice offering.
A leftist conceived, an epiphany, a born again libertarian.
Black Bellamy said...
Yes! Great input. Restaurants being closed has to have hurt beverage sales, right?
Also....I suspect part of not wanting to advertise on social media is not wanting to play the woke-ity woke woke game. In the past months we've been inundated with ads reacting to me too, to COVID, staying at home, here's our response to reopening, here's how black lives matter. And it's got to be exhausting to constantly have to do the "right" thing just to stay afloat. Just to be woke enough not to be attacked.
Michael K said...
Trump =/= China and the Muslim world. Coke wants to sell to them. The largest market for soft drinks is the Muslim world. Big Corporations are into crony capitalism the past 50 years, especially since 2000. They have been steadily going left wing, not because they want Socialism but Socialism works rather well with crony capitalism.
Bret Weinstein has opined that the Democrats are becoming the Big Business party that the Republicans traditionally were. That's not easy to deny when you take into account how snuggled up they are to Big Tech. I think Coke is just hedging it's bets.
I also think we're going to see a polar shift between the parties.
bagoh20 said...
"Anyone who thinks the Right deserves anywhere near the criticism of the Left right now is just insane."
True - conservatives problem is they want to accept NONE of the responsibility - when the last 50 years has been their baby.
The constant harping on Democrats doesn't make Republicans more attractive - Republicans fixing their shit does.
And that they refuse to do.
" so why you dwell on them and ignore me is what I wonder about."
Nothing personal, but there are just so many victims these days it's hard to stand out.
Temujin said...
"You were spot-on nailing the cultists early on. On other things, I disagree with you, but I always read what you have to say. You and others here."
Yeah, but Ricky and Jon are special - they get a post all about what they say 10 years after me.
And you may disagree with me on race but there's no denying my position is gathering strength while y'all's is gathering dust.
The head of BET wants $14 trillion for reparations.
For a "dog that won't hunt" he's got the scent pretty good.
And BTW - all I'm asking for is acknowledgement.
I just hate encountering subjects and themes I championed, and seeing Ann acting like Ricky and Jon are the original thinkers around here, when they're 10 years late.
I've evolved 10 years past all of you on this shit and you have no interest where that's gone - and where you're going.
That's booty.
Big Business LIKES Big Government, since they have an easier time dealing with it than a small business. It's Crony Capitalism.
And LOTS of the Big Business Leadership comes from the Top Schools, that are Ideological Brain Washing Chambers.
So Yes, Democrats have become the party of Big Business, Wall Street, and Silicon Valley.
Jupiter said...
"Crack, I gather that some woman you knew went all New Age on you,..."
Anyone who's so stupid they'll let how I got turned onto this subject be more important than what I learned from it is an idiot unworthy of a real reply.
>>I think you guys deliberately dismiss and ignore my contribution to these ever-more-important topics.
You called police officers "slave catchers" and advocated killing cops trying to arrest black people. Here's your exact quote:
"Easy - remind you police are overseers and slave catchers, who blacks have little reason to trust or respect, and I'm fine with whatever blacks have to do to escape them - including trying to restrict THEIR freedom by killing them."
Now remind me again why we should take anything you say seriously?
The Crack Emcee said...I think you guys deliberately dismiss and ignore my contribution to these ever-more-important topics.
--
Forever victimized.
Our host is percieved by the intelligentsia as right wing. Far right wing because she engages ideas, questions, finds flaws...on both sides. Intelligent discussion has no place in leftist dogma, because the agenda does not survive examination.
On a broader sense, achilles distills the terms to their essence. Belief the government can fix social ills, rather perceived social ills. Govt as a solution. That is todays leftist, left of center and just barely center right. Government. Conservatives should believe the least govt possible, and even then the govt closest to the people need to be left alone.
If you want things to get better, judges need to strictly enforce the 10th amendment. Judges should also quit ruling on things they have no business deciding. Most all of their rulings need to be left to the people. Todays abortion of a ruling, should never have seen the inside of a courtroom. The people are best suited to answer to the ebb and flow of the society they inhabit. Louisiana has different values than Minnesota. Leave them to it.f
The Crack Emcee said...
I think you guys deliberately dismiss and ignore my contribution to these ever-more-important topics.
Ignoring racists is generally the way to go.
Any one calculated the police or enforcer, brutality taking place in the city of CHOP? per 100K Quick calculation has it multiple times higher than almost any place "free" government rules.
Michael K said...
I'm shocked that Coke would join in. Does Corporate America hate Trump that much?
Trump =/= China and the Muslim world. Coke wants to sell to them. The largest market for soft drinks is the Muslim world. Big Corporations are into crony capitalism the past 50 years, especially since 2000. They have been steadily going left wing, not because they want Socialism but Socialism works rather well with crony capitalism.
It is interesting looking at what Coke did in the 1930's.
You know they created a brand called "Fanta" in order to get past import regulations imposed by the Nazi's and sell products in Germany?
Or how the Associated Press remained in Germany after almost all other press organizations left and fired all of their Jewish employees in order to maintain access?
IBM was particularly nasty selling equipment allowing very accurate census to be taken and allowing the sorting of the census information to quickly find and list people out for termination.
Giant international corporations have always been enemies of freedom.
Steve M. Galbraith said...
I do think it's fair to say she's more critical of the left than the right. But that makes one a critic of the left; it doesn't mean you're a rightwinger.
She criticizes the left because she wants it to actually be what it claims to be.
This blog’s core consistency is serving up outrage and fussiness re what’s going on. Same sorta thing Stewart did.
For many people I don’t think that there are better things to do rather than going on and on w/o change. For others, like Althouse, doing the same thing all the time is a good fit.
Different stroke/ dif folks.
BTW, are we sure Ricky didn’t have writers for those big shows he did? Seems like having writing help would not be unusual with those things. We do know that he does co-write, e.g., Stephen Merchant.
As I've written countless times (actually, they probably could be counted, but I don't have the time, the interest or the energy), the whole political concept of "Left" and "Right" needs to be revised if not jettisoned. It came from the French parlement (I'd italicize if I knew how) of the Ancien Regime (ditto), where the Right wing was the pro-Establishment, pro-Church-and-State crowd. In short, the authoritarians. If there's any group today that's authoritarian, it's the Left, with its addiction to statism and coercion, and its increasingly naked hostility to free speech. Apparently, labelling the pro-freedom party as "right wing" came from the Stalinists, who liked to label anyone opposed to Uncle Joe as "right wing."
The result was the confusion caused by books in the 1950s and 1960s with scarifying titles such as "Danger on the Right" which wanted to group anyone opposed to the Welfare State as "right wing." One of the stupidest of such books included the libertarian anarchist and pacifist Robert LeFevre with the Ku Klux Klan and the American Nazi party. That takes Inga-level ignorance and Howard-level insanity.
A much more accurate method of classification would be my own Statist Scale, aka the Coercion Meter, with 0 being pure LeFevrian anarcho-pacifism, and 10 outright murderous tyranny a la Mao, Stalin, Hitler and other violent heroes of the Left. (Go on, look it up. In his early years, many "progressive" types lauded Hitler for championing what they championed: statism, collectivist economics, hatred of the bourgeoisie, etc.) I'm still not sure where Trump fits in on the scale, but at 6 or above you enter what I call the State-fellator Zone, inhabited by Hillary, Pelosi, Obama, etc.
Isn't it obvious that Stewart just isn't humorous, or even particularly bright- it was always the writers that made him seem so.
It's amazing to listen to a couple of the richest, easiest living people who ever lived, telling you how the system and country that allowed that needs to fundamentally change.
If all you had to do was raise your hand to be successful, some people would still say that is too much to ask, and they would fail. Then others would point to that as proof that the hand raising system needs replaced.
There are people are all points on the political spectrum, and at each pole, who believe in free speech, and there are also those on all points and each pole of the political spectrum who want to restrict speech they don't like. To claim free speech advocates are, by definition, "right wing," is self-aggrandizing bullshit by right-wingers who think no right-winger's shit can stink.
"I also think we're going to see a polar shift between the parties."
Nope. The Dems are just moving right and will be sitting on the same side of the aisle as the Republicans, who are not budging, (except, perhaps, to go farther rightward).
Read the lefties comments here and it's clear they know they're losing.
Cookie: "To claim free speech advocates are, by definition, "right wing," is self-aggrandizing bullshit by right-wingers who think no right-winger's shit can stink."
Cookie is not handling reality very well, is he?
That's what happens to unreconstructed Stalinists who sucked down all of Chomsky's and Zinn's bile and internalized certain labels and positions and can't deal with how humanity doesn't follow the leftist script.
Cookie says left wingers believe in free speech and if you don't agree with him his lefty pals will shut you down and cancel you and drive you from the marketplace of ideas!!
LOL
adSs: "This blog’s core consistency is serving up outrage and fussiness re what’s going on."
Have you decided to stop pushing your russia hoax narratives from 2017 yet?
Shorter post: Stewart's writers talked, and their words came out of the drive-through clown's mouth.
Leftist comedians burn out because they hate the world they see.
Jon Stewart admits the faux outrage is wearing.
Garrison Keeler spent an entire career hating, hating, hating that which he described in Lake Wobegon, which despite his best efforts often appeared idyllic to objective observers.
Gervais hates the cancel culture.
David Letterman hated his audience.
And so on. Hatred of good things like America, Lake Wobegon, free speech, an appreciative audience, is a heavy burden to bear when people laugh at what you say.
The Crack Emcee said...
And BTW - all I'm asking for is acknowledgement.
I just hate encountering subjects and themes I championed, and seeing Ann acting like Ricky and Jon are the original thinkers around here, when they're 10 years late.
I've evolved 10 years past all of you on this shit and you have no interest where that's gone - and where you're going.
**********************
You speak very well of yourself.
Whatever happened to resigning? An honorable man in Jon Stewart's position - especially one with FU money - would have quit if he couldn't get changes made to the 'comedy' that made him feel awful on the inside.
These retroactive confessions by a public figure of how he or she really felt about what they were forced to do are just arguing to Churchill that the $$ and fame they received didn't reveal their true self and true principles.
Maybe I'd attribute some weight to their statements if they gave up their ill-gotten gains. I'm waiting but won't be holding my breath.
Blogger The Crack Emcee said...
Temujin said..."And you may disagree with me on race but there's no denying my position is gathering strength while y'all's is gathering dust." 6/29/20, 10:33 AM
As I said in another post, Crack you better hurry with your 'fictional narrative' because real flesh and blood people don't care - just look at the interracial marriage numbers. Pretty soon no race at all. Now what do you do?
when the last 50 years has been their baby.
No. Just 100%, undeniably wrong.
The Great Society is at fault for the past 50 years. This destroyed the black family unit and caused the dysfunction in the inner cities that exists today. Anyone who argues against that is delusional.
Conservatives had nothing to do with that piece of legislation, the most destructive set of laws ever passed in US history.
"The head of BET wants $14 trillion for reparations."
BET. The 53rd largest network according to ratings, behind something called Grit?
To claim free speech advocates are, by definition, "right wing," is self-aggrandizing bullshit by right-wingers who think no right-winger's shit can stink.
When right wingers start pulling down statues, let me know. When right wingers demand that names of schools be changed, let me know. When right wingers demand that history be erased, let me know.
The smoke from the riots in the Big Apple are getting to your brain, Bob. That's the only possible explanation for the pure nonsense you spewed above.
But Jon was a drag. He wasn't funny.
I'm not a doctor, but I play one on television...
I'm not a lawyer, but I play one on television...
I'm not a raquonteur, but I play one on television...
Well, that's unfair. Jon Stewart isn't a complete mannequin, mindlessly parroting bon mots, drolleries, and gibes written by others, he's got his own comedic opi -- kinda, sorta... sorta halfway, semi-jocular. How to put it? Hmmm... Got it. Jon Stewart is a halfwit.
Do any of the right-leaning people on this blog care enough about whatever antics the woke squad can impose on Coca Cola to stop drinking Coke? If you do, then Coke has a problem. If you don't, Coke is just greasing the squeaking wheel. What are you, a bigot?
Never look for big corporations, particularly ones based in Atlanta, to do anything other than signal their lefty virtue--they are SO inclusive! What do they care? It is all about the benjamins. Maybe they can find a Coke bottling franchise for Malia Obama. Yeah...that's the ticket!
"I'd like to buy the world a Coke..."
The Crack Emcee said...
And BTW - all I'm asking for is acknowledgement.
TBH, wanting attention is not a good look.
Robert Cook said..The Dems are just moving right.
--
Cookie should coach Stewart on humor.
Blogger Robert Cook said...
"I also think we're going to see a polar shift between the parties."
Nope. The Dems are just moving right and will be sitting on the same side of the aisle as the Republicans, who are not budging, (except, perhaps, to go farther rightward).
I know it's not possible that you would ever be wrong, but if you were, how would you know?
Bilwick said...
(I'd italicize if I knew how)
it's Easy! (but put the brackets the other way around, i have to switch them so i can show)
Put a thingie like this >i< to start your itals
Then, put a thingie like this >/i< to end your ital
again, i had to switch them around, so that they'd show up. The i and the /i should go Inside the brackets; but, if i did that; you'd just see italic text (like i did to yours at the top)
"Free speech is too important to cave under pressure."
"We're boycotting your brand."
"After thinking it through, I agree with you."
It's a shame he lost his mind because Jonah Goldbergs "Liberal Fascism" is very fitting.
IBM was particularly nasty selling equipment allowing very accurate census to be taken and allowing the sorting of the census information to quickly find and list people out for termination.
In fairness to IBM; they only did that, so that they could continue to reap the profits
Yancey Ward said...
Isn't it obvious that Stewart just isn't humorous, or even particularly bright- it was always the writers that made him seem so.
The writing wasn't any good either. He played to his audience's hatreds, they were going to laugh the same as a KKK audience would laugh at racist jokes. Laughter showed "I'm part of the in-group, we hate the out-group". The writing didn't matter at all.
Robert Cook said...
The Dems are just moving right and will be sitting on the same side of the aisle as the Republicans, who are not budging, (except, perhaps, to go farther rightward).
Those of you who pretend Cookie is different than the other left wingers take note. Evidence and reality don't matter to Cook any more than it does the others. His narrative is different than theirs so he's willing to criticize theirs. But he lives in a fantasy world even more extreme than the rest of them.
Achilles writes: You know they created a brand called "Fanta" in order to get past import regulations imposed by the Nazi's and sell products in Germany?
This is erroneous. Sorry Achilles, but you've ventured beyond your boundaries. No "import regulations" against Coca-Cola syrup was ever imposed by the Nazi government other than minor tariffs. Fanta was created in Germany by the German-owned and managed licensee of the Coca-Cola company that had the pre-war exclusive right to bottle and distribute the beverage in Germany. The "import restriction" you speak of was hardly such. Though the German licensee had the right to bottle and sell Coke (a postwar tradename, btw) they had no access to the formula, and their license forbade them to reverse-engineer or otherwise replicate the Coca-Cola flavor. They were entirely dependent on huge stainless steel tanks of "coke-syrup" delivered from the parent company in the United States. When war broke out in 1939 the Allies (the UK and France, late just the British) imposed a blockade of Germany, repeating the winning strategy of the Great War. The German licensee had an amply supply of syrup on hand in 1939, but without resupply from America, they were bound to run out and go bankrupt. In 1941 the Roosevelt Administration imposed a trade embargo against Germany in response to an attack by U-568 on the USS Kearny. The Germans tried to buy syrup from Latin American Coca-Cola affiliates but were unsuccessful, those affiliates being restricted from such transfers by contract and in some cases by export laws. Fanta was invented as a substitute and eventual replacement for the increasingly scarce Coca-Cola. It was formulated to use the maximum of native German and European materials, the principal flavoring being derived from the leftover pulp of apple cider manufacturing.
The fact that supporting free speech makes one a 'right-winger' says everything about the left.
But we already knew that.
Althouse is now realizing the your hard core Commie is humorless? Anything that isn't exactly today's view of what Stalinst say is right wing. As for Jon Stewart, he isn't now and never was funny. He's only funny to those who share his views and want him to be funny. Gervais is funny, even to people who don't share his views.
“Gee, it would be nice if something happened to your nice business there...”. It might have been going on before 2000, but I first noticed the trend of companies backing away from groups/issues deemed radioactive by radical lefty groups. The radicals would issue threats worthy of the protection rackets run by the Mob. I started seeing this trend after the Supreme Court ruling “ Boy Scouts of America (BSA) et al. v. Dale, 530 U.S. 640 (2000)” (handed down 20 years ago yesterday). After the Boy Scouts won in court, Gay Rights advocates leaned heavily on The United Way* and corporate donors to stop donating to the BSA in order to punish them for defying the gays in court. BSA is now in bankruptcy court after being hit by lawsuits from victims of sexual assault at the hands of gay adults from the time prior to this lawsuit - a no win scenario for BSA, even after they decided to allow gays Openly serve in the BSA several years ago.
Anyway, after flexing their economic power against BSA, the gays and other radical leftwing groups have been on a roll the past two decades in our country in forcing companies and organizations to bend to their will like BLM is doing now all way out of proportion to their numbers just by intimidating them to bend to their will “or else something might happen to your nice business there.”. And the Facebook is being leaned by the companies who advertise with them to censor speech on behalf of these radical groups.
*The BSA was one of the 4 original founders of The United Way.
This turned out to be a more interesting thread than I expected.
When I saw that Jon Stewart's face, I thought, "Why would anyone with a brain want to talk about that ridiculous twit?"
"Neither Ricky or Joe its saying anything I haven't said - here - so why you dwell on them and ignore me is what I wonder about."
They're funny. You're not.
"Cookie says left wingers believe in free speech and if you don't agree with him his lefty pals will shut you down and cancel you and drive you from the marketplace of ideas!!"
Florida Man Cookie (who lives in NYC in case you weren't aware) is highly invested in his one-dimensional sophomoric views that allow him to posture as a "dissident". The pretense of believing that even the most radical poseurs aren't truly radical enough is pretty common among the attention-needy when they notice a lot of regular kids in their school are starting to listen to the same bands they like.
When jokes become dangerous
Stewart is not very bright or very funny. (Has that been said already?)
He fed his audience's delusions that superciliousness is proof of superiority, and heavy sarcasm is the same as wit.
Narr
Have a Coke and Shut Up!
"The head of BET wants $14 trillion for reparations."
Once the accountants subtract out all the money squandered on affirmative action programs, hospital emergency rooms sewing up gangbangers, and the prisons and police needed to keep you all in line, there won't be anything left of that $14T.
All the Gov't and postal service jobs should count towards that total too. Go into any state office around here and you won't see a white face.
Gervais: I love New York. No two people the same.
Seinfeld: Isn't that true everywhere? I mean, where are people the same?
China, maybe?
Funniest joke of the year.
I see Crack is back to:
1) take a few shots at Glen Reynolds
2) try to drive some traffic to his blog.
Oh yeah - if the subject were men in shorts, and I complained Ann wasn't mentioned, THEN you'd get it, right?
But NewAge, BLM-style subject matter, etc. - those can be overlooked as my personal hobbyhorses for the entire 10 years I've been on this blog, correct?
You guys are still a pack of racists.
My interests are VERY SPECIFIC - and they're ALL coming to fore in our culture - so fuck you guys and you excuses:
I deserve credit for being there first and you guys are the proof I was.
Phil 314 said...
I see Crack is back to:
1) take a few shots at Glen Reynolds
I saw Glenn Reynolds was promoting aromatherapy on his blog today - you're damn skippy I take shots at the fraud.
“ ‘And yet, they all went against what their supposed class interests are,’ ”
“Class interests” is Marxist claptrap.
This is America.
"Corporate America hate Trump that much?"
God yes! Hasn't that been apparent? And now that he's attacked the h1B visa rule that admitted thousands of engineers and computer programmers, throwing Americans out of work, Google, Facebook, Twitter and the rest of the Silicon Valley frauds are gunning for him as well.
This is war, folks.
Corporate America is not really American anymore. The current Coke CEO is a Brit, and the previous one was a Turk. I remember that at one time, Ford's CEO was Egyptian.
ken in tx said...
"Corporate America is not really American anymore. The current Coke CEO is a Brit, and the previous one was a Turk. I remember that at one time, Ford's CEO was Egyptian."
Damn, you guys are dumb: they're ALL NewAgers - that's the point.
As long as you guys refuse to look at spirituality as possessing the same fervor as religious nuts, you're gonna miss the take-over of American culture.
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